Philips and Rostock University Medical Center collaborate to deliver networked cardiac care across major region of Germany

June 9, 2016

Philips and Rostock University Medical Center sign Memorandum of Understanding for collaborative project on networked cardiac care in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Innovative technologies set to reduce morbidity and mortality from heart disease and increase the efficiency of cardiac care

Berlin, Germany – At this year’s Capital Congress of Medicine and Healthcare in Berlin, Germany’s most important healthcare event, CEO of Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA) Frans van Houten and Professor Dr. med. Christian Schmidt, Chairman of the Executive Board and Medical Director of the Rostock University Medical Center, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on the project ‘Connected care for cardiac patients in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’. The aim of the project is to establish a network between care providers to deliver more efficient cardiac care to the region’s population via the use of innovative technologies.

"Today’s healthcare market presents many challenges, including a growing number of chronically ill people, major demographic changes, and unprofitable hospitals. At the same time, digitization and Industry 4.0 – systems that communicate and cooperate in real time with each other and with users – are driving change in the markets,” explained Peter Vullinghs, CEO Philips DACH. "Philips already processes huge amounts of data – 18 petabytes in its IT systems and more than 1.5 terabytes in every one of its IntelliSite ultrafast digital pathology scanners – helping to make workflows more efficient and patients’ lives easier through the intelligent use of data and networking. This new project with Rostock University Medical Center is another milestone in our commitment to the digitization of healthcare systems".

Linking up cardiac care in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania aims to implement a digital ecosystem that will facilitate communication, interaction and coordination between healthcare providers, such as hospitals, doctors, health insurance companies, medical suppliers and pharmacies, and between healthcare providers and patients. For patients with heart disease, Rostock University Medical Center coordinates all the parties involved to deliver the highest quality of cardiac care. Philips is providing its HealthSuite cloud platform to interface to data sources such as a hospital’s or doctor's office IT systems, the connection to the region’s telemedicine center, and connected home monitoring devices such as activity trackers, blood pressure monitors and weight scales. The HealthSuite platform not only collates and stores the acquired data, it also includes powerful data analysis tools.

"Challenges such as the shortage of healthcare facilities in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania area, and the region’s above national average morbidity and mortality from heart disease, force us to develop more efficient treatment solutions. Joint solutions from industry and the University Medical Center therefore make perfect sense for patients,” said Professor Dr. med. Christian Schmidt, Medical Director and Chairman of the Executive Board at Rostock University Medical Center. "Our service provides all the relevant data on one platform, which is controlled via an app. We channel that data to the various parties – for example, to doctors and our telemedical center. It is also very important that patients have full control over this data – making their own decisions about who has access to it and who can use it for diagnostic and treatment purposes."

Philips is committed to delivering innovative solutions across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and care at home. The company’s structure, technology roadmaps and business models have all been strategically aligned to make Philips one of the world's leading health technology companies. Philips is unique in having 125 years of experience and expertise both in consumer products and in professional healthcare solutions and services. Today, a common element and driving force in all these solutions is digitization. Philips' goal is to improve the lives of three billion people by 2025 with its products and solutions.

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. The company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2015 sales of EUR 16.8 billion and employs approximately 69,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.